Among prior art polling, voting and two-way communication systems is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,906 to Fernando Morales-Garza, et al., May 27, 1986, which disclosure is incorporated herein in entirety to simplify the scope of the present disclosure while enabling those in the art to practice this invention, and to better clarify the nature and scope of the present invention. That system permits answers to be sent by single frequency beeps from TV receiver audience response stations to a central processing station, at a TV transmitter studio site for example. Specific response time slots identify the answering units and compensation is made for travel time of the radio signals.
Also known in the art are various local remote control units for operational control of TV receivers by infra red (IR) wireless systems. One such system is that of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/368,951 filed Jun. 13, 1989, now abandoned by Fernando Morales, et al. for Wireless Remote Control of Cursor Superimposed on TV Picture, which permits answers to be formulated by a TV viewer in a specified location on a TV screen and transmitted to a central analysis station.
A system for processing of audience response answers at a central station is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,871 to Fernando Morales-Garza, et al., Jul. 5, 1988. This provides for inexpensive control of time slots at the response unit station by synchronization of timing with a TV program signal incorporating an audience question.
However, these prior art systems have not been able to process answers over a wide territorial range, such as for example nationally over the fifty states of the USA, or internationally for real time analysis.
It is therefore a general objective of this invention to provide a wireless communication system for audience polling, processing, analyzing and identifying responses, capable of feeding back verified responses for the information of the polled audiences, either together with a transmitted TV program or independently in an audience polling mode of operation.
A more specific objective of this invention is to use narrow band rf communication beeps capable of identifying responder TV stations, or the like, with time slot identification over wider territorial ranges than those of the aforesaid Patent 4,591,906, for example for nation-wide or international polling with current polled results appropriately analyzed and verified.
Another specific objective of this invention is to provide by means of satellite communications a wireless processing system for real time audience polling over long distances, wherein specific TV receiver station, or like, response units can be identified, verified and analyzed for real time processing of responses from polled audiences.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be found throughout the following description, drawings and claims.